Willam VIII
"What am I to do with you?" Willam sighed. Argentum blinked at him. The great silver carnivore seemed to sense that he was distressed, yet Argentum was just happy that Willam was paying attention to him at all.
Willam admitted that he had not been the best owner in the past few weeks. Ever since finding out Argentum's true nature, he had been paralyzed into inaction. Willam's fear of mishandling the giganotosaurus had kept him away from his pet. But after weeks of ignoring and avoiding Argentum, he eventually had to come to terms with his irresponsibility. Argentum was getting more anxious and unruly without him, causing trouble throughout the Wolf's Den by knocking over barrels or eating livestock. Willam had eventually stepped back in to take control, though even now his every movement was carefully thought out beforehand. Willam now realized that he had reared a weapon of mass destruction into the world and he was facing the consequences for it. To at least start attempting to atone for his mistakes, he tried to take responsibility over Argentum by constructing a pit to house him in. The square hole went five meters deep, so far that it was impossible for Argentum to climb out. The only exit was a long dirt ramp, protected by two sets of large oak gates, reinforced with crossed steel. One gate was situated at the top of the ramp, the other at the mouth of the pit. Over the top of the hole were more iron bars, to be extra safe that the apex predator would not claw his way out of the pit. Willam felt sad for imprisoning his pet in the hole, but there was little other choice. Argentum had to be controlled. Willam had not done enough to discipline the giganotosaurus while growing up, so he had to make up for that now.
Of course, he tried to make the pit as hospitable as possible. There was plenty of space, soft hay, and a water trough which collected fresh rainwater and melted snow that fell into the pit. There was also a little cave for Spectre, who refused to leave Argentum's side. The two were permitted outside to hunt and get a bit of exercise everyday, but corralled back inside at all other times. Willam visited Argentum occasionally, as he was doing now, but he still wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing.
When news of potential war broke out two months ago, Otto had sent him a letter asking if he was willing to pledge Argentum to the Northern Coalition's army. Otto had made it clear that they were already severely outnumbered and that without a powerhouse like Argentum, they stood little chance of victory. Willam had been conflicted at first. But then again he had come to terms with his actions. After all, the moment Willam had decided to care for that giant silver-blue egg, he had chained himself to this responsibility. When Argentum hatched and Willam saw that he would grow into a huge carnivore, he had harboured no disillusions as to what that meant. He had known all along that he was raising a creature capable of killing others. Willam had witnessed firsthand just how easily Argentum could take the life of others during the giganotosaurs's hunts. And all that time, Willam had just chosen to ignore it.
But now he recognized that he would have to make a choice. And so Willam had agreed to Otto's plan. If Argentum was a god of destruction, at least let him be a patron deity to their cause. Argentum had been created to hunt and kill all other creatures of the Island. At least let him use that violence to protect everyone that had helped raise him into the monstrosity he was now.
Otto's next letter promised that precautions would be taken to train and equip Argentum for war. He was the greatest military asset the tribe had under their command, and would be carefully protected and prepared until the time came for the giganotosaurus to be unleashed against their foes. Otto had arranged for some talented mountain tribesmen to help Willam train the silver titan. Otto also wanted Willam to ride over to the Hotspring Hold and get Argentum measured by Maron, so the blacksmith could forge him a set of armour. Willam could very well imagine that a fully trained giganotosaurus in the prime of his youth, protected from spears and arrows by the finest steel armor, would be a terrifying sight to behold. Argentum was capable of tearing through armies alone. With the proper training and equipment, he would easily be able to turn the tide of any battle.
Willam agreed with all of Otto's assessments and preparations. Though he was afraid of Argentum's power and violence, he also still deeply cared for his pet. Willam was glad that steps and been taken to ensure Argentum's safety on the battlefield. He had arranged to bring Argentum with him to Otto and Jeynes's wedding, which was set to take place in two months. Willam had been overjoyed to find out that his friends were getting married, though he was also worried if it was the right time for such an event to take place. With both winter and war looming near, a wedding seemed to be the least of their worries. Then again, he also recognized that it would be a good way to take peoples' minds off both incoming catastrophes. Not to mention, a great opportunity to strengthen the ties that held the members of the Northern Coalition together.
Willam stroked Argentums's jaw gently with a sad smile, then ordered the guards to close the gate, made his way up the ramp, and had them close the second gate as well. Willam cast a glance back at all the fortifications, sad that it had to come to this. But the world was changing quickly, and drastic measures were necessary. Plenty of developments were taking place at the Wolf's Den. Towers were being strengthened, barricades were being erected, and practically everybody was getting trained in spearmanship. The four gatehouses were getting reinforced with steel, now that they had the resources. And after the initial exodus of survivors to the Hotspring Hold, now the population of the Wolf's Den was slowly getting back to a healthy number of about a hundred sixty. Lots of preparations were occurring for the upcoming war, and not one day went past that Willam did not have to attend to some detail or another. For now, his duties for the day were complete. Earlier in the morning he had inspected the circumference of the walls, along with Captain Hallis and his guardsmen. But for the most part, Willam delegated military details to his two military commanders. Rodrick the Head Ranger saw to things far afield, while Hallis the Captain of the Guards defended the Den closer to home. Willam only occasionally popped in to oversee their duties. He spent the vast majority of his time overseeing other odds and ends around the base. Arranging deliveries, managing productivity, meeting with subordinates, and about everything you could think of.
Willam cast one last at Argentum's cage, wondering once again if he was making the right choice. No. I have to do this. It has to be done to move forward. Although it pains me to see Argentum locked up, it's for the greater good. Willam sighed and returned to the healer's hut with a heavy heart. He had always been better at fixing other peoples' problems than his own. At least Willam could make some use of himself by helping the injured survivors recover while he pondered his own trials.
Willam lost himself in his work, setting bandages, applying tonics, and chatting with patients. He enjoyed fixing others' problems. It came easily to him and it was rewarding work. After a few hours of mindlessly going about his task, he took a short break to go jot down some observations about the medical properties of mosses and lichens in his Dossier. The book was steadily crawling to completion, at least a third of the way done he reckoned. Dietrich's notes had been of tremendous help, and Willam wanted to personally thank the scholar of Stoneglen the next time they met. He was getting closer to finishing his dream with every passing day.
After Willam had finished writing his article, he returned the book to a drawer and focused his attention back on the medical ward. Everything was going fine, but something was a little off. It was strangely quiet. Willam frowned and looked around. Most of the patients were sleeping, but a few were awake. Myra was silently changing bandages on one injured ranger. Ah so that's it, Willam reflected once he had pinpointed the source of his unease. Normally his assistant was a cheerful girl who loved talking with patients, but now she was strangely silent. It had been subconsciously bothering him the entire day, though he had never been able to quite understand where his discomfort was stemming from.
After all the patients had been tended to, Willam pulled Myra aside to the counter. "Something's bothering you. What's wrong?"
The girl sighed. "It's nothing. I'm fine."
"You're not," Willam observed. "Tell me what the matter is. I'm here to help."
"Well. . ." Myra muttered evasively. She glanced outside. "It's my friend Zach. He's been ignoring me and acting strange lately. I don't know what I did wrong. He's never been like this before."
"Clarisse's stablehand? Just leave it to me, I'll talk to the boy," Willam promised. He gave his assistant a gentle smile. "Go take some rest. You've been working twice as hard these past few months to make up for my slack. You deserve a break."
Myra nodded with a slight smile and left the medical ward. After he was done, Willam made his way over to the stables. Inside, Clarisse was a little surprised to see him. After all, Willam rarely frequented the stables aside from occasionally storing Argentum's saddle in the loft. The stablemaster glanced at him with curiosity. "Where can I find Zach?" he asked.
She pointed at the far end of the stables, to where the hyenadons made their den. Willam thanked her and followed the path. From either side of the central walkway, all sorts of creatures peered at him from the murky darkness of their pens. There were plenty of megaloceros bucks and does, along with a fair number of equus and wooly rhinoceros. Willam also saw a few giant megatherium and chalicotherium snuffling about the darkness, rare though they may be. The back end of the stables held all the carnivores. Recently, under the Northern Coalition's militarization policy, Willam had instructed Rodrick and his rangers with capturing and taming as many carnivores as they possibly could. So far they had managed to capture a few sabertooth kittens, four purlovia, and a daeodon. The new predators would make a fine addition to their army, once they were trained and fully fledged. When Willam passed their pens curiosity compelled him to glance inside and take a closer look, for he had rarely seen such creatures in captivity. They were still fairly frightened of mankind and shied away to the far corners of their enclosures, but that was to be expected of any newly tamed animal. They would adapt in time.
At least two of the purlovia were willing to scuttle up to the front of the pen and sniff at him curiously. Willam knew better than to stick his limbs into the darkness, but he almost tried. Then he snatched his hand back. They're still wild animals. Clarisse has done good work training them but they're not ready yet. Maybe in a few months.
Finally, at the very back of the barn, Willam found the young stablehand Zach. He was currently cleaning out the hyaenodon pens. There were about a dozen of the scraggy beasts milling around, panting and cackling among themselves. All of the cubs that had been born last year were fully grown now, and more well behaved than their parents which had been captured in adulthood. Willam could see a clear difference in the way the second generation hyaenodons behaved, following Zach around like lost ducklings and listening to his every command with rapt attention.
Willam cleared his throat to announce his presence. "Zach, am I not mistaken?"
"Lord Willam," the young man looked surprised. "What brings you here?"
"Just to check up on you, my young friend. I hear you're not feeling quite like yourself. Do you mind sharing what's wrong?"
"It's probably best if I don't. . ." the stablehand muttered and looked down at his broom.
"What's with you young people and your secrets?" Willam teased. That did not help lighten the mood.
Zach looked just as miserable as before. Willam frowned. "Look, I know it's not much of my concern but my helper Myra has been upset lately because you're avoiding her. If you tell me what's wrong I can help you make amends."
"Myra's worried about me?" That seemed to bring his spirits up. Zach worried over it in his head for a moment, then defeatedly looked back at Willam. "It's not anything she did. Tell Myra it's not her fault. I just. . . I've been having dreams lately. Strange dreams where I see everything from my hyenadon's eyes."
"Ah," Willam said at a total loss for words. Another one? So this young man's got the same talent as Otto and the Mountain Hermit? "This changes everything."
"I don't know what to do," Zach fretted with mounting panic. "What's wrong with me? Why is this happening?"
Willam placed a hand on his shoulder. "You have nothing to fear my lad. You weren't the first to uncover this power and you won't be the last. Just take a deep breath and tell me everything you know, from the beginning."
They sat on a haybale and Zach told Willam his story. About two months ago, the young man had his first dream in which he explored the hyaenodon pen through one of their perspectives. There were many hyaenodons who could potentially have been the vessel for Zach's vision, but the stablehand had instinctively known that he had bonded with Bluebell, who happened to be his favorite of the clan. Since the first encounter, he had only been able to see through Bluebell's eyes, though each time he got better and better at remembering details from the dreams. Over the past few weeks the dreams had increased in frequency. The whole time Zach had been afraid of his power and what it could mean.
At the end of the story, Willam had calmed the boy down with reassuring words that he would get everything sorted. After leaving the stables, Willam returned to his room for the night and mulled upon the situation over a simple dinner. The time Zach developed his power coincided with the death of the Mountain Hermit. He was almost certain that it was not a simple coincidence, and that the two events were linked. Could it be that once a physic passes away, their powers are inherited by someone else on the Island? And how did that power come to Zach? Otto mentioned something the Mountain Hermit once said. Something about the Island choosing who to bestow its power upon? Them being pure of heart? Willam had stared out the window contemplatively, looking at the mountains in the distance. He could see faint wisps of smoke from the Hotspring Hold.
After making up his mind, Willam poked his head outside and asked a guard to find both Myra and Zach, then bring them to his room. Once the two teenagers had arrived, Willam explained the situation. "Myra, I know you've been worried about Zach but everything's perfectly fine. He's been gifted a very special talent from the Island. You're familiar with Lord Otto's ability?"
The healer nodded. "He can see through the eyes of his wolf."
"Exactly. By some miracle of the Island, Zach has now inherited that power as well." The two friends exchanged concerned looks. Willam quickly jumped in. "It's nothing to fear. I admit that I know very little about the gift, but I'm sure Otto could explain more."
Willam stood and paced to the window, looking at the distant mountain peak surrounded by its halo of stormy grey clouds. He turned back to Zach and Myra. "How does a change of scenery sound to you two? I could bring you to the Hotspring Hold during Otto's wedding and introduce you to him. I'm sure he'd be more than willing to take you on as wards."
"Won't you need us around the Wolf's Den?" Myra asked.
Willam smiled at the two. "I'd say you're a fully fledged healer, Myra. I've taught you everything I know. You're ready to strike off on your own and make a change in the world." He turned to Zach. "And you my young friend, also have great things ahead of you. If there's anybody on the Island that can help you develop to your full potential, it's Otto. I'm sure Clarisse is grateful for everything you've done around the stables, but she's a capable woman who can handle things on her own."
The two youths were gradually looking more confident as Willam praised their abilities. He could tell he had convinced them both. "So what do you say? Onto the next chapters of your lives."
Author's Note:
DinoNerd89, Aww sad to hear about the impact of the last chapter :( But I'm glad at least Melvin was a high point for you. More to come, but at least the following won't be as dark for a while. And yes - I tried to throw you guys off with all the other dinos but I think you've done a great job picking up on that detail :)
Bladerunner24k, Thanks for the review! I enjoyed building the Protectorate and there's still so much of it we haven't seen yet.
Caleb R. Watson, Anything can happen my friend :) But yes there's a lot of ways the story could go from here. The ending I currently have isn't too depressing in my opinion but it could potentially change as I go.
Girlbook, I agree, I felt bad for her but it's a harsh truth about human nature throughout history.
Korskarn, Great analysis of the resources the Coaltion has at its disposal and I won't get into spoiler territory but you'll see some of those abilities being used soon :) But I will say this: I'm gonna have a blast writing a few upcoming chapters.
Nateman364, Hahaha chapter after chapter you keep guessing my next move this is great. Lots more Kate chapters inbound, so you'll get to see where the narrative goes. Not all goes exactly as you predicted but there is definitely a ton of overarching points!
Thunder, Thanks for the review I'm glad you enjoyed so far!
Thanks for taking the time to check out my work, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Feel free to comment, ask questions, or criticize my story, review is always welcome! If you liked what you saw, make sure to check out the other ARK stories on this site! Have a great day!
- DaRumpyBurr
